Nappanee High School - Napanet Yearbook (Nappanee, IN)

Page 23 text:

 — i| ll,e seat fartherest l»ck in the Senior How ‘our young est and our fairest sits, t rimful of jollity and good hu-mor. Flossie Is a studious girl: not one to lie found at the foot of her class: and capable of a hearty laugh over even a Physics experiment. Milford is her native town. She was born November 5,1891. For several years it has been her lot to keep the registration hook at our Public School Exhibit, she has tilled this place heroically in spite of her desire to preside over the punch-bowl.

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®br tfalur By FLOSS has been said that the decision of a single individual has more than once changed t lie current of the world’s history; and that, too, not only for an hour, but for centuries. Strangeit is and almost unbelievable that only a moment’s hesitation and then finally the decision—and the future course of the world’s events has been changed: but all history gives examples of this kind. We now call such periods epochs, and look to the actors as makers of destiny: but it is only liecause we, coming years and years after them, can look Uu-k and see the results of their decisions. They who lived in those periods did not realize that the great clock of heaven had Just then struck for a change on earth, nor did the actors themselves know that for centuries the world’s progress would turn on their very act as on a new axis. For, as some one has so lieautifully expressed it, “The revolutions on earth, like those of the heavens, swing on unknown centers: and it is only when the periods are complete that men recognize the extent of the change.” Take, as an example, that poor Genoese wool carder's son, Christopher Columbus, one of the greatest men the world has ever produced, if we max measure his quality by the effect of his discovery on the future ages. Did any of his neighbors or friends even dream that so much of the world’s progress depended on his decision to explore an almost unknown sea. in a vain hope, as they thought, to find a new route to the Indies? Did they ever mock him or Jeer at him when he tried to tell them his new and strange ideas aixmt the earth, and how he intended to sail around the earth and not across it? Even Columbus himself did not suspect, even for one moment, the wonderful issues that would result from his keeping of I hat decision. But how much tlie world lias been lienelitted by that very thing: for who is able to tell how much the world has l»eeu influenced and helped t better things along religious, commercial, social, and political lines, by the aid and example of the I’nited States? In fact, what would this world have been It be bad given up that decision, simply liecause no one would lielieve him at first, or was willing to give him aid! Think bow much humanity has tieen forwarded by our advanced ideas concerning free institutions, free religion, the equality of man. ami our system of national government. These few facts only serve to show bow much was involved in one man’s decision. Nor did Martin Luther, that almost unknown man at the time, even imagine, when he decided to publish his own ideas against some of the acts of I’ope Leo. iu his ninety-live theses, and tack them on tin doors of that nf Drriimut IE YOUNG college building, that lie. by this act and a few similar ones, would start one of the greatest religious revolutions ever recorded. He perceived in Ids mind only that they were wrong, decided to stand for tlie right and history itself will tell what the result of his decision was. .lust two hundred and fifty years later a different sort of a question came up. and like all other great questions. It demanded a positive decision liefore it could Ik finally settled. Neither did John Adams its originator, fully realize what the result of his standing so boldly against the unjust, tyrannical laws Of our mother country would finally lie. Little did he think that by his stand and influence, he would originate one of the greatest movements ever started in this country, a movement which would finally result in the great Revolutionary War. Rut on account of tills very decision, we are now able to point, with true American pride, to the Declaration of I nde| endence in which is recorded that almost Immortal resolution that these united colonies are. and of a right ought to lie free and independent states. That decision led to the beginning of a new nation, a new political revolution, a new era of civilization, with tlie people as ruler. Napoleon decided to make his country the leading country of all Kurope. He did It. ('aesar resolved to Ik first in Rome, and second to none anywhere, lie liecamenot only the leader in Rome at the time, hut lie came to lie looked upon in history as one of the greatest men of all ages. Lincoln declared, while yet a mere hoy, that one man had no right, either by tiie written law or by the law of right and wrong, to bold another man in Itoudage. As lie ! eeame older, lie decided to do his part towards altering the condition of slavery in our country. At times it seemed as if he never would get this accomplished. Many others faltered in their decisions to help him, hut he kept rigid at it. through all the dark days of the Civil War, until lie finally saw Ids desire realiz.ed. In fact, all history as we know it to-day. is only a record of the doings of such men of decision, and their results. They It Is who are ahead, and wlm are aide to rule over their fellow-men. Difficulties and dangers and hardship are simply obstacles, the overcoming of which only show their true greatness the more clearly. They do not stop at defeats, but rather look at them as incentives to greater effort. Others can stand back and complain that their circumstances or environments prevent their success. They, with truer hearts and greater courage, tower over these difficulties and come out from the struggle only stronger and nobler than they were before. Look how that poor.stuttering, backward, shrinking youth finally liecame